Motor fuel composition



Patented Jan. 25, 1938 MOTOR FUEL COMPOSITION Will R. Savage, Omaha,Nebn, assignor of onehalf to Harry S. Haze, Chicago, Ill,

No Drawing. Original application July 31, 1934, Serial No. 737,857.Divided and this application-May 3, 1937, Serial No. 140,567

- 2 Claims.

The invention relates to a motor fuel and the present application is adivision of an application filed by me on or about July 31, 1934, SerialNo. 737,857.

An object of the present invention is to improve petroleum fuel both foruse in internal combustion engines and also for open air burning and toenable the same when employed as a fuel for internal combustion enginesto afford quicker starting, faster pick-up or acceleration, more powerand increased mileage, smoother operation, greater flexibility of speedbetween extreme limits of low and high with cooler operation than isafforded by ordinary petroleum fuel products.

Another object of the invention is to eliminate hard carbon deposits andleave only a soft oily or moist carbon deposit in reduced quantity.

A further object of the invention is to effect a reduction orpractically an elimination of carbon monoxide by more completecombustion than has heretofore been obtained under practical conditionsof engine operation. Heretofore alcohol has been mixed with petroleumfuel products in large quantities as high as a fifty to fifty -(50 to50%) mixtureof gasoline and alcohol for conserving the supply ofgasoline and increasing the volume of fuel available for use as a motorfuel for internal combustion engines and for other economic reasons, andas commercial alcohol contains water and is not miscible in anyproportions with gasoline, it has been necessary to employ a blendingagent to render such commercial v i alcohol miscible with the gasoline.

The invention consists in the use of a cold chemical mixture of alcoholand acetone for mixture with various-grades of petroleum and petroleumfuel products for controlling and improving the combustion qualitiesthereof by chemical means. The essential novelty resides in an abnormalreduction of the proportion as a whole of the combined ingredients usedin conjunction with the various petroleum fuel products and an equallyabnormal change in the proportions of the ingredients as related to eachother in their combination and use in petroleum fuel products ascompared with all previous and present practice. These abnormal changesin the two directions mentioned .produce a very decisive improvement inthe quality of the combustion of the petroleum fuel products treated andin motors and motor cars produce remarkable improvements in theperformance thereof, heretofore not attained and not attainable with thegreater proportions of the chemical ingredients heretofore used incombination with gasoline, naptha and other petroleum fuel products.

Improvements in petroleum fuel products have related heretofore mostlyto processes for obtaining a larger percentage of automobile fuel oflighter specific gravity and lower initial distillation point to supplythe vast quantities of gasoline and motor fuel used in automobiles.Chemical treatment for improved combustion of the refined petroleum fuelfor use in motor cars from a practical standpoint in use has beenrestricted mostly to the addition of lead or equivalent metals invarious forms to reduce or eliminate the fuel knock. One of these formsis a preparation containing tetra ethyl of lead added to the refinedfuel commonly referred to as high test gasoline and giving an increasedoctane rating or antiknock quality to the gasoline when used as motorfuel.

Another form embraces a mechanical device installed as an accessory tothe automobile or motor vehicle and having a small chamber coated orlined with lead or in combination with other metallic ingredients and bymeans of tubular connections the untreated gasoline or motor fuel ispassed through and in contact with the metal or metals dissolving aminute portion suificient for treatment of the fuel to obtain thedesired results in the automobile engine. The lead treatmentapparentlyslows down the explosive action of' the motor fuel giving bettercombustion, smoother operation, greater anti-knock value and burns upthe carbon, but creates a hotter flame and heats up the engine inoperation more than the result obtained when using the untreatedgasoline or motor fuel.

It is the purpose of the presentinvention for automobile use to retainand add to the qualities in the higher test gasoline; namely, quicker oreasier starting, smoother operation, faster pickup, more power, lesscarbon and also make a 'complete temperature reversal of the leadtreatment of gasoline motor fuel, whatever the means of its applicationand use, by making the engine run cooler than the untreated gasoline .ormotor fuel and through more perfect combustion add to the mileage of agiven quantity of fuel used in an automobile.

By way of example, one method of carrying out my invention is tomix'approximately' one part of alcohol and one part of acetone. not overone per cent (1%) or less than onetwenty-fifth (1/25) of one "per cent(1%), by volume, of the mixture is added to the petroleum fuel productto be treated. This relatively small Generally ill.

than the fifty and fifty per cent (50 and 50%) combination and lesserlarge combinations heretofore employed in the mixing of alcohol andgasoline. The formula may be varied within the said limits of one percent (1%) maximum and one-twenty-fifth (1/25) of one per cent (1%)minimum of the mixture according to higher and lower grades of thepetroleum fuel products to be treated, the lower grades requiring moreof the cold chemical mixture than the higher grades.

Ordinary gasoline does not contain naptha or naphthalene but syntheticgasoline consisting of a lower grade of petroleum fuel to which casinghead gas has been added to bring it up to the ordinary gasolinestandard, does contain naphtha and the mixture of the present inventionconsisting of approximately one part of alcohol and one part of acetonewill be found especially advantageous in treating petroleum fuelproducts containing naphtha.

The formula of the present invention using substantially equal parts ofalcohol and acetone may also be used to advantage with the severalgrades of petroleum fuel other than that containing naphtha providing itis kept within the limitations of generally less than one per cent (1%)maximum and a minimum of one-twenty fifth (1/25) per cent of thepetroleum fuel treated.

The result of more perfect combustion resides in an adjustment of thespark control to prevent preignition, the advancement of the timing tothe maximum limit for greater mileage and still retain coordination ofthe firing functions, the proper admixture of air and the right amountof fuel to form the best explosive mixture, coupled with a givencompression and a gasoline fitted to the adjustments made.

An adjustment of the car'for a particular grade of gasoline will notwork to the best advantage on a different grade of gasoline and a caradjusted for anti-knock features on one grade of gasoline may knock witha different grade of gasoline on the same adjustment and yet bereadjusted so that the latter gasoline or motor fuel tested will notknock and yet have no change made in the gasoline or motor fuel quality.

Thus, when cars are'adjusted at the factory according to laboratoryequipment to fit the present standard of high test gasoline or motorfuel, a readjustment on some points on the motor may be necessary to fitmy treated gasoline or motor fuel and lower grades of gasoline for thebest performance.

Another advantage which is very important is that the chemicals which Iuse are not poisonous in ordinary handling and are only so for internaluse and made so by law 'to prevent such use. The use of lead isaccompanied by the danger of poisoning to workmen handling it and tocustomers who may get the mixture in cuts, wounds amount of the coldchemical product is much less smoother operation, more power and speedwas only attained by sacrificing mileage and that if you wanted mileageby going to a lower test gasoline or motor fuel then you sacrificedthese other favorable qualities. In other words, it was consideredimpossible to obtain both objects of mileage and desirable performancesimultaneously in one product, yet my formula gives this dual result.

The presence of carbon monoxide in exhaust gases proves that the carbonin gasoline and other motor fuel has been burned to some extent, tocarbon monoxide, and in this form delivers less than one-third W of itsheat energy with consequent loss of power and waste of fuel. Aside fromthe economic waste, carbon monoxide is a very dangerous toxic poisonresulting in frequent deaths of persons inhaling these fumes in confinedplaces, in closed cars, garages or any similar conditions. The additionof these deadly carbon monoxide fumes in congested districts ofautomotive vehicular traffic in the towns, cities and on highways, whilenot fatal in their immediate efiect on people compelled to breathe thisvitiated air, certainly renders it inimical to v their health and anypractical elimination of the hazard makes a decided social valueimprovement.

The proper adjustment of air and fuel ratio with the addition of mytreatment for controlled combustion greatly reduces or practicallyeliminates this hazard to life of the car user.

Another factor of importance inherent with the present invention residesin its harmonicoperation when combined with the lead treated gasolinewhether combined with the chemically lead treated gasoline or using theformula with the gasoline flowing through a lead coated or treatedchannel or receptacle as an accessory attached to the car.

The cold chemical; mixture applied to various grades of petroleum fuelcontrols and improves the combustion of the same in open flame and alsoin its use ininternal combustion engines in the form of explosivemixtures. Its comparatively non-poisonous factors in the preparation oruse is an advantage aside from the functions of the elements of thecombination.

The treated petroleum fuel possesses superior advantages in its coolerand smoother operation, increased mileage, more effective operation atlower speeds and at all speeds up to and including high speeds withpractical freedom from vibration of the engine when running. Alsosubstantial reduction or practical elimination of carbon monoxide inexhaust gases or fumes results from the more effective combustion due tothe chemical treatment of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A motor fuel composition composed of gaso line and approximately lessthan one per cent of a mixture consisting of acetone and alcoholcombined in substantially the proportions of one part of alcohol and onepart of acetone.

2. A liquid motor fuel composition comprising a light volatile petroleumdistillate and approximately less than one per cent of a mixture com--posed of acetone and alcohol combined in substantially the proportionsof one part of alcohol and one part of acetone.

WILL R. SAVAGE.

